2013 Season

← 2012 2014 →

Every number below is read straight out of the 2013 results: 598 contests, 7,728 teams and 17,444 team entries.

📰 Read it as The Smoke Ring 📊 The season in charts 📋 The boards 🔢 More numbers 🗓 All 2013 contests

Contests

598

436 scored · 162 still out · 35 cancelled

Teams competing

7,728

the first season on record

Team entries

17,444

2.3 contests per team

Different champions

218

429 contests won · 134 won just once

It took this to win

685.49

average winning Master overall · won by 5.61 on average

Top score

711.4172

HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE

Perfect 180s

132 🔥

1.9 per 1,000 meat entries

States & provinces

busiest KS (58)

Typical field

teams · biggest was 535

Came back

87.5%

21 of 24 teams from 2012

State championships

contests carrying a state title

Team of the Year

👑 Master Series — TRUEBUD BBQ (2940 pts) full board ↗
👑 Master Series — WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS (2940 pts) full board ↗
🥇 Brisket (Master) — HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE (2772 pts)
🥇 Chicken (Master) — TRUEBUD BBQ (2762 pts)
🥇 Pork (Master) — TRUEBUD BBQ (2835 pts)
🥇 Pork Ribs (Master) — TRUEBUD BBQ (2799 pts)

Storylines (9 found in the 2013 numbers)

Everything here is read out of the results — the number on each card is the one that made it a story.

Team of the Year

2,940 Master Series points

TRUEBUD BBQ finished 2013 as KCBS Master Series Team of the Year on 2,940 points.

The season’s big winner

16× grand championships in 2013

16 of the 429 contests won this season

TRUEBUD BBQ took 16 grand championships in 2013, more than anyone else — out of 429 won by 218 different teams.

HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE ×10
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS ×10
Killer B's BBQ ×9

The score of the year

711.4172 highest Master overall of 2013

HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE put up 711.4172 at Bikes Blues & BBQ — 25.93 points clear of what a 2013 win averaged.

Bikes Blues & BBQ
Sep 20, 2013

The closest finish

0.0002 points between first and second

GETTIN' BASTED beat BURNT FINGER BBQ by 0.0002 at Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival — the narrowest Master win of 2013, and 1 more finished dead level and went to the KCBS tiebreaker.

Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival
Apr 19, 2013

The biggest upset

23% their odds against the top seed

23% — what the rating gave them going in

SMOKEHOUSE 72 (rated 1504) won 3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs out of a field headed by QUAU at 1716.

37 teams
Aug 30, 2013

The season’s biggest climb

+299.3 power rating gained in 2013

TRUEBUD BBQ added 299.3 rating points across 39 rated contests in 2013 — they sit at #29 today.

39 rated contests
now #29 at 1862

Perfect boxes

132 perfect 180s in 2013

Judges handed out 132 perfect 180s in 2013 — 1.9 for every 1,000 meat entries. CAVEMAN CUISINE collected 4 of them.

CAVEMAN CUISINE ×4
SWIGGIN PIG ×4
BIG POPPA SMOKERS ×3

Most miles cooked

41 contests entered in 2013

TRUEBUD BBQ entered 41 contests in 2013, winning 16 of them.

16 GCs
36 top-ten overalls
14 states/provinces

The biggest room

535 teams at one contest

The 2013 average field was 41 teams

34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open drew 535 teams, against a 2013 average of 41 — IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ won it.

Oct 3, 2013
MO

The season in charts

When they cooked (contests per month)

Where they cooked (busiest states and provinces)

How the season scored (every Master overall, in 10-point bins)

How big the fields were (contests by number of teams)

How the meats scored (average of every entry, /180)

2013 in the run of seasons (2013 picked out in both)

Contests held, season by season

What it took to win (average winning Master overall, /720)

The boards

Master Series Team of the Year (top 10)

#	Team	Points
1	TRUEBUD BBQ	2940
1	WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	2940
3	Killer B's BBQ	2856
4	HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE	2837
5	QUAU	2823
6	SWIGGIN PIG	2809
7	LEFT COAST Q	2798
8	IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	2783
9	Parrothead Smokers SD	2766
10	GILLY'S BBQ	2763

Most Grand Championships

#	Team	GCs
1	TRUEBUD BBQ	16
2	HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE	10
3	WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	10
4	Killer B's BBQ	9
5	QUAU	9
6	PARROTHEAD SMOKERS	8
7	IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ	7
8	LEFT COAST Q	7
9	TIPPYCANOE BBQ CREW	7
10	GILLY'S BBQ	6

Highest overall scores (Master · /720)

#	Team	Score
1	HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE Bikes Blues & BBQ · Sep 20, 2013	711.4172
2	THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ Smokin' the Fort · Oct 25, 2013	710.2744
3	Ghost River Smoke-A-Holics KC Hog Wild Corinth BBQ · Oct 4, 2013	708
4	Pig Skin BBQ 6th Annual Big Island BBQ · Aug 23, 2013	706.3200
5	Killer B's BBQ Tilley Harley-Davidson Biker Blues BBQ Rally and BBQ Classic · Sep 20, 2013	705.7144
6	HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE Hog Wild BBQ & Chrome Fest · Jun 14, 2013	705.1432
7	TRUEBUD BBQ Smokin' In The Junction · May 25, 2013	705.1430
8	TRUEBUD BBQ Smokin' Brew BBQ · Aug 30, 2013	705.1084
9	QUAU Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) · Jul 26, 2013	704.6172
10	TWO OLD MEN AND A GRILL Kings Mountain Firehouse BBQ Cook-off · Apr 19, 2013	704.5718

Best cook of the season, meat by meat (/180)

Meat	Team	Score
Chicken	HOTTY TOTTY BBQ CREW Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel	180 🔥
Pork Ribs	POLITICAL PORK Apple Blossom Barbecue Contest	180 🔥
Pork	CAJUN BLAZE Sam's Club National BBQ Tour	180 🔥
Brisket	Butts A Blaze Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel	180 🔥

How hard each meat was (2013 only)

Meat	Entries	Avg	Avg win	180s per 1,000
Chicken	17,418	161.21	176.13	1.9
Pork Ribs	17,541	159.49	175.66	1
Pork	17,467	160.69	175.88	1.9
Brisket	17,428	158.01	176.17	2.8

Busiest teams (contests entered)

Team	Contests	GCs	Top 10
TRUEBUD BBQ 14 states	41	16	36
QUAU 18 states	40	9	31
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ 13 states	37	7	34
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ 10 states	36	4	23
LOTTA BULL BBQ 15 states	36	3	20
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS 19 states	35	8	29
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE 8 states	34	10	28
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS 10 states	33	10	29
4 LEGS UP BBQ 11 states	33	1	20
WILDCATTERS Q CREW 6 states	32	4	27

Biggest climbers (power rating gained in 2013)

Team	Gained	Contests
TRUEBUD BBQ #29 today	+299.3	39
IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ #56 today	+271	35
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS #50 today	+256.2	32
QUAU #926 today	+250.3	37
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE #76 today	+248.4	31
WILDCATTERS Q CREW #152 today	+244.6	31
Killer B's BBQ #268 today	+234.4	26
PARROTHEAD SMOKERS #528 today	+227.7	34
SWIGGIN PIG #110 today	+217.8	28
THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ #13 today	+214.5	36

Biggest contests

Contest	Teams	Grand Champion
34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Open Kansas City, MO	535	IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship Lenexa, KS	183	PORK 'N MINDY
34th Annual American Royal World Series of Barbecue Invitational Kansas City, MO	174	COOL SMOKE
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship Shawnee, KS	114	3 GUYS WITH WOOD
Pork in the Park Barbeque Festival Salisbury, MD	106	4:20 Q
Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel Tupelo, MS	100	BREW 'N' BAR-B-QUE
Dana Point State BBQ Championship Dana Point, CA	99	BURNIN AND LOOTIN
Jack Daniel's World Championship Invitational Barbecue (JUDGES BY INVITATION ONLY) Lynchburg, TN	97	COOL SMOKE
Blue Ridge BBQ & Music Festival Tryon, NC	97	ROCKY TOP BARBEQUE
City of Bedford Blues & BBQ Festival Bedford, TX	89	BUTCHER BBQ

Closest finishes (Master, first over second)

Margin	Contest
0.0002	Rock'n Ribs BBQ Festival GETTIN' BASTED over BURNT FINGER BBQ
0.0002	Polar Bear Challenge GILLY'S BBQ over BLAZIN' BLUES BBQ
0.0002	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour DIRT ROAD BBQ over SMOKEAHOLICS KS
0.0002	Tony Stone Low & Slow BBQ Competition LOWLAND SMOKERS over BUNCH OF SWINES
0.0004	5th Annual Lake Havasu Music Brews & BBQ Championship LOOT N' BOOTY BBQ over IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ
0.0004	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour MOVIN' THE CHAINS over PIGGY D'S BBQ
0.0004	Rock'n Freedom LOTTA BULL BBQ over BURNT FINGER BBQ
0.0012	Naptown barBAYq Contest & Music Festival JACKED UP BBQ over 3 EYZ BBQ
0.0116	The Madelia Blazin' Barbeque Blast BIG T'Z Q CRU over SPITFIRE
0.0232	United Wireless / Five State Fair BBQ THE AMERICAN DREAM BBQ over WILDCATTERS Q CREW

1 more finished dead level and were settled by the KCBS tiebreaker.

Widest winning margins (Master)

Margin	Contest
23.4856	Morton BBQ Throwdown (TEAMS & JUDGES FULL - May email to be put on waitlist) QUAU over One2BBQ
23.4856	Harvard Fall Festival BBQ Contest QUE AND A HALF MEN over CAN U SMELL MY PITS BBQ
22.8800	Central Illinois Bragging Rights QUAU over THE SMOKE HUNTERS
21.7600	Lynch Livestock Pig Stampede IOWA'S SMOKEY D'S BBQ over GRILLS GONE WILD IOWA
21.7150	BBQ Boogie & Blues Bubba Q over GEORGIA BOYS BBQ TEAM

Biggest upsets (winner's odds against the top-rated team)

Odds	Contest
23%	3rd Annual Smokin' In The Bogs SMOKEHOUSE 72 (1504) over a field led by QUAU (1716)
23%	Laurie Hillbilly BBQ SEDALIA MASTERBASTERS (1496) over a field led by TRUEBUD BBQ (1707)
24%	Eastern Carolina BBQ Throw Down FatBacks BBQ & Rib Shack (1524) over a field led by WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS (1722)
24%	Anchor City Cook Off Natural Born Grillers (1524) over a field led by PARROTHEAD SMOKERS (1721)
25%	Christmas on the River State Championship RED EYED SMOKERS (1522) over a field led by SWIGGIN PIG (1710)
26%	Sam's Club National BBQ Tour (Regional) TheBBQSuperStore.com (1506) over a field led by QUAU (1684)
26%	Downtown Jonesboro BBQ Fest The Rack Pack (1500) over a field led by LOTTA BULL BBQ (1678)
27%	When Pigs Fly South GIVE IT TO GOD (1616) over a field led by TRUEBUD BBQ (1789)
27%	Blue Ridge BBQ and Music Festival HOLLYWOOD N SWINE (1487) over a field led by 3 EYZ BBQ (1658)
27%	Racing For The BBQ GETTIN' SAUCED (1530) over a field led by TRUEBUD BBQ (1700)

Read off the nightly power-rating replay. Invitationals and non-points contests are not rated, so they never appear here.

Most perfect 180s (in 2013)

Team	180s	Contests
CAVEMAN CUISINE	4	4
SWIGGIN PIG	4	4
BIG POPPA SMOKERS	3	3
HOG TIDE BAR-B-QUE	3	3
TRUEBUD BBQ	3	2
WARREN COUNTY PORK CHOPPERS	3	3
WILDCATTERS Q CREW	3	3
BIG T'Z Q CRU	2	2
BUFFALO'S BBQ	2	2
G "QUE"	2	2

State by state

State/Prov.	Contests	Scored	Avg field
KS 3 titles	58	43	43
MO 1 title	52	41	58
GA	37	22	40
CA	35	28	41
IL	28	18	38
OK	26	18	38
TN	25	18	42
VA	18	15	31
CO	17	12	34
NC	17	13	54
MN	16	12	38
PA	16	7	44
AL 1 title	15	10	40
IA	15	13	32
AZ	14	10	33
NY	14	12	39
IN	13	10	39
AR	12	9	37
KY	12	8	34
NE	12	9	41
NV	11	9	43
WI	11	9	35
MD	10	8	51
MS	10	10	42
FL	9	6	46
SD	8	5	25
NJ	7	4	56
SC	7	6	38
TX	7	4	51
MI	6	6	34
NM	6	3	44
OH	6	4	37
LA	4	4	40
MA	4	3	31
MT	4	2	24
WY	4	4	25
CT	3	3	23
WA	3	2	21
DE	2	2	51
NH	2	2	39
NL	2	0	—
OR	2	1	31
UT	2	2	23
AB	1	0	—
DC	1	1	42
GB	1	0	—
GE	1	0	—
MB	1	0	—
ME	1	1	28
ON	1	0	—
PR	1	1	41
RI	1	1	46
UK	1	1	10
VT	1	1	31
WV	1	1	37

State championships (5 in 2013)

Contest	Grand Champion
Great Lenexa BBQ Battle - Kansas State Championship KS · Jun 21, 2013	PORK 'N MINDY
Shawnee Great Grillers State Championship KS · Sep 27, 2013	3 GUYS WITH WOOD
Autumn Blaze BBQ Smoke Off State Championship Contest KS · Oct 18, 2013	BURNT AT BOTH ENDZ
Bates County BBQ State Championship MO · Oct 25, 2013	KC SMOKE DAWGS
Christmas on the River State Championship AL · Dec 6, 2013	RED EYED SMOKERS

More from 2013

Season ran Jan 18 → Dec 30 first and last contest on the 2013 calendar

Average winning margin 5.61 across 428 Master contests · 1 settled by tiebreaker

Walks to the stage 17,202 top-ten calls handed out in the four meats

Contest series 575 distinct recurring contests on the calendar

Busiest weekend 27 contests all on Aug 23, 2013

Toughest table Brisket lowest average of the four meats at 158.01

Outside the rating 4 invitationals and non-points contests that do not move a power rating

Cancelled 35 contests that came off the calendar

Results still out 162 of 598 contests on the 2013 calendar

Contest counts exclude cancelled events. Overall scores are split by series because they are on different scales — Master is out of 720, Backyard out of 360 — and only the four judged meats count toward perfect 180s. Browse every 2013 contest →